The Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: Part 2

This article was first published in the Spring 2002 Journal of Ministry and Theology, published by Baptist Bible Theological Seminary, Clarks Summit, Pa. It has reproduced here with permission of the author.

Excerpt
“And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is also empty” (1 Cor 15:14). For Christians the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the foundation of our faith. Apart from the resurrection, there is no gospel, no good news for a despairing world. Continue reading

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Oneofthestrongestargumentsforthehistoricity of the resurrectionistheresurrectionappearancesofJesustohisdisciplesandtounbelieverswhothenbecamebelievers.1TheemptytombbyitselfdidnotleadtofaithintheresurrectionofJesus(cf.Luke24:21-24;John20:13).2Itwasprimarilythewitness of therisenJesusthatledtothefirstdisciples’faithintheirrisenLord.

ThesixthresurrectionappearanceofJesuswastotheelevendisciplesmorethaneightdaysafterhisresurrection.ThistimeThomaswaspresent(John20:26-29).TheLordtolddoubtingThomastotouchhisresurrectedbodyattheplacewherehehadbeenwounded,butthetextdoesnotsaythatThomasdid.ThetextdoessaythatThomasrecognizedthedeity of Jesus by saying,“My Lord and myGod.”

TheeighthresurrectionappearanceofJesuswasprobablytofivehundreddisciples.PaulcitedthisasproofoftheresurrectionofJesusin1Corinthians15:6.Paulsaidthatsomeofthosediscipleswerestillaliveatthetimeofhiswriting1Corinthians(A.D.56).Thesedisciplescouldhavegivenlegaleyewitnesstestimonyofthehistoricityof the resurrection of Jesus.

ThehallucinationviewsaysthatthedisciplesthoughttheysawtherisenJesus,buttheyreallydidnot.Accordingtothisview,thediscipleshadhallucinationsorvisionsofJesusafterhisdeath.Thedisciplesimaginedthattheysaw Jesus and that was enough for themtodeclarethat Jesus was alive.

Bultmannwrites,“Thehistoriancanperhapstosomeextentaccountforthatfaith[intheresurrection]fromthepersonalintimacywhichthediscipleshadenjoyedwithJesusduringhisearthlylifeandsoreducetheresurrectionappearances to a series of subjectivevisions.”5

JohannesWeisswritesthat“theappearanceswerenotexternalphenomenonbutweremerelythegoalsofaninnerstruggleinwhichfaithwonthevictoryoverdoubt.…Theappearanceswerenotthebasisoftheirfaith,thoughso it seemedtothem, so much as its product and result.”6

MarcusBorg,aleaderintheJesusSeminar,thinksthatwhile“thestoryofthehistoricalJesusendswithhisdeathonaFridayinA.D.30,thestoryofJesusdoesnotendthere.AccordingtoJesus’followers,heappearedtotheminanewwaybeginningonEasterSunday.”7BorgrejectsthebodilyresurrectionofJesusandclaimsthatwecannotknowwhatformtheappearancesofJesustooksinceBorgsaystheyaredescribedasvisionaryandothertimes as corporeal.

JohnDominicCrossan,ProfessorEmeritusofReligiousStudiesatDePaulUniversityinChicagoandtheformerco-chairoftheJesusSeminar,viewstheresurrectionnarrativesasasocio-politicalcommentaryontheearlychurchleadership.Crossansaysof1 Corinthians15:1-11thattherearethreetypesofrecipientsofJesus’apparitionsorrevelationsconsistingofthreespecificleaders(Peter,James,andJohn),twoleadershipgroups(thetwelveandtheapostles),andonesinglegeneralcommunity(representedbythefivehundred).12Thepost-resurrectionphenomenon,accordingtoCrossan,refersnottoJesus’appearances,butshowsthepriorityofoneleaderoveranother, or one group over thecommunity as a whole.

(3)thecentralityoftheresurrection:“TheresurrectioniscentraltotheNewTestamentasawholeandshouldnotbelimitedtojustanargumentforauthorityinthechurch.”Habermasgoesontonote:“Theresurrectionisasignforunbelievers(Matt12:38-40;16:1-4),aswellasacomfortforbelievers(John11:23-26;Luke24:36-39).Itwasanindispensablepartofthegospel(Rom10:9;1 Cor15:1-5)andtheheartofearlypreaching(Acts4:2;4:33).Itwastheimpetusforevangelism(Matt28:18-20;Luke24:45-48) and thechiefmessageinPaul’s church plantingmethods(Acts17:1-4).”15

THEWITNESSOFTHEAPOSTLES

TheWitnessOfTheApostlePeter

PeterpreachedthedeathandresurrectionofJesustotheJewsontheDayofPentecost(Acts2:23-35).AcknowledgingGod’ssovereignplan,PeteraccusedtheJewsofcrucifyingJesus(2:23).JesuswasdeliveredbythedeterminedpurposeandforeknowledgeofGod,yetsinfulmenwereresponsibleforcrucifyingJesusonthecross.PeterstatedthatJesuswasone“whomGodraisedup,havingloosedthepainsofdeath,becauseitwasnotpossible thatHeshouldbeheldbyit”(2:24,NKJV).InActs2:25-35PeterquotedtwoOldTestamentscripturestoprovetheresurrectionofJesus.First,hequotedPsalm16:8-11.PeteremphasizedthatDavidcouldnotbereferringtohimselfintheseversesashepointedoutthat“ofthepatriarchDavid,thatheisbothdeadandburied,andhistombiswithustothisday.Therefore,beingaprophetandknowingthatGodhadswornwithanoathtohimthatofthefruitofhisbody,accordingtotheflesh,HewouldraiseuptheChristtositonhisthrone,he,foreseeingthis,spokeconcerningtheresurrectionoftheChrist,thatHissoulwasnotleftinHades,nordidHisfleshseecorruption.ThisJesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses”(Acts2:29-32).16

PeterandJohnraisedalamemaninthetemple.Whenthepeopleranuptothem atSolomon’sPorch,Petertoldthemthatitwasnottheirpowerthathadraisedtheman,butthatthepowerhadcomefromtherisenChrist.PeteraccusedtheJewsofkilling“thePrinceoflife,whomGodraisedfromthedead,ofwhichwearewitnesses”(Acts 3:15).Healsotoldthem,“Toyoufirst,God,havingraisedupHisServantJesus,sentHimtoblessyou,inturningaway every one of youfromyouriniquities”(Acts3:26).

TheapostlePaulgavewitnesstotheresurrectionofJesusChristinhismissionarysermonsandinhislegaldefenses when he was on trial. Paul toldthe Jews inthesynagogueinAntiochinPisidia:

NowwhentheyhadfulfilledallthatwaswrittenconcerningHim,theytookHimdownfromthetree,andlaidHiminatomb.But God raised Himfromthedead. He was seen formanydaysbythosewhocameupwithHimfromGalileetoJerusalem,whoareHiswitnessestothepeople.…Godhasfulfilledthisforustheirchildren,inthatHehasraisedupJesus.…AndthatHe raisedHimfromthedead, no more toreturntocorruption.…ForDavidafterhehadservedhisowngenerationbythewillofGod,fellasleep,wasburiedwithhisfathersandsawcorruption;butHewhomGodraisedupsawnocorruption.(Acts13:30-31,33,34,37)

PaulpreachedthegospeltotheGreekphilosophersinthemarketplaceinAthensandattheAreopagusinAthens,Greece.SomeEpicureanandStoicphilosophersencounteredPaulsaying,“Whatdoesthisbabblerwanttosay?”17Otherssaid,“Heseemstobeaproclaimerofforeigngods,”becausehepreachedtothemJesusandtheresurrection(Acts17:18).TheGreekphilosophersrejectedtheconceptofabodilyresurrectionfromthedead.Theyviewedthematerialbodyasbeingevilandofnoeternalvalue.PaulpreachedthegospeltotheseGreekphilosophersattheAreopagus.18AftershowingthatidolatryisillogicalandexpoundingontheimmaterialnatureofGod,PaulwarnedtheGreekphilosophersthattheywouldbejudgedbyGodiftheydidnotrepentoftheiridolatry.Theassurance that God will judge all men is that hehas raised Jesus fromthe dead (Acts 17:29-31).

For Ideliveredtoyou first of allthatwhich I also received;that Christ died forour sins accordingtothe Scriptures,andthatHewasburied,andthatHeroseagainthethirddayaccordingtotheScriptures,andthatHewasseenbyCephas,thenbythetwelve.AfterthatHewasseenbyoverfivehundredbrethrenatonce,ofwhomthegreaterpartremaintothepresent, butsomehavefallenasleep.AfterthatHewasseenbyJames,thenbyalltheapostles.ThenlastofallHewasseenbymealso,asbyonebornoutofduetime.(1Cor15:3-8)

Pauldidnotinventthegospel.PaultoldtheCorinthiansthathedeliveredtothemfirstofallwhathehimselfhadalsoreceived.19PaulindicatedthathereceivedthisgospelfromtheLordJesusChristhimself.Elsewherehewrote,“ButImakeknowntoyou,brethren,thatthegospelwhichwaspreachedbymeisnotaccordingtoman.ForI neither received it fromman, nor was I taught I, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal 1:11-12).

HabermasindicatesthatscientistsarepuzzledbyanumberofinterestingcorrelationsbetweentheimageontheshroudandthefactssurroundingJesusandhiscrucifixionandburial.BoththeimageontheshroudandJesussufferedmanypunctures,abruisedface,ahorriblewhipping(overonehundredwoundsfromthisbeatinghavebeencounted),abrasionsontheshouldersfromarough,heavyobject,andcontusionsontheknees.Bothhadpuncturedfeetandwrists,andstrangelybothescapedwithouthavinganklesorkneesbroken.Bothhadpostmortemchestwounds.Bothwereburiedquicklyinfinelinenandwereburiedindividually.Theshroudcontainsnoevidenceofbodilydecomposition,indicatingthatthebodyexitedtheclothafterashortinternment.Evenmoreinterestingisthepossibilitythattheimagewascausedbysomelightorheatsourcethatemanatedfromthedeadbodyontotheshroud.Theconvergingscientificfactsshowthatthebodylefttheclothbysomeyetunknownmeans.SomescholarsbelievethattheshroudisaforgeryfromtheMiddleAgesbecauseofsomecarbon-14datingdonetotheshroud.25But there are others who object tothisdating and believethat the shroud isauthentic.26

J.N.D.Andersonwrites,“Itisscarcelyfancifultosuggestthatwhenheaddsthat‘amostmischievoussuperstition,thuscheckedforthemomentagainbrokeout’heisbearingindirectandunconscioustestimonytotheconviction of theearly church that theChrist who had been crucified had risen fromthegrave”28

SuetoniusreferstothepunishmentofChristiansbyRomanEmperorNero.Hewrites,“AfterthegreatfireofRome…punishmentswerealsoinflictedontheChristians,asectprofessinganewandmischievousreligiousbelief.”30Suetoniusdoesnotspecificallystatewhatthe“newandmischievousreligiousbelief”was,butitwouldbeplausible to say that it was the teaching ofthe bodily resurrection ofJesus fromthe dead.

(3) JosephuswrotesomestatementsaboutJesusintheoriginaleditionoftheAntiquities,butthepresentGreektextcontainssomelateralterationsdonebyChristians.Origen(thirdcentury)saysofJosephusthat“hedisbelievedinJesusasChrist”32IfOrigenisright,thentheoriginalGreektextattributedtoJosephushasbeenchangedbyChristians.Mostscholarsbelievetodaythatthethirdviewiscorrect:thatsomeportionsofthe“Testimonium Flavianum”are authenticwhileothersections have been changed by Christians.33

PlinytheYounger

PlinytheYoungerwasaRomanauthorandadministratorwhoservedasthegovernorofBithyniainAsia.HewasthenephewandadoptedsonofhistorianPlinytheElder.PlinywroteseveralletterssomeofwhichspeakofChristianityintheprovinceofBithyniaaroundA.D.112.PlinygivesusanaccountofearlyChristianworshipof Christ whomhe described as a “god”:

ClementwastheleadingelderinthechurchatRomeandwroteCorinthiansaboutA.D.95tohelpendadisputebetweenthechurchmembersandeldersatCorinth.HislettertotheCorinthianchurchisgenerallyconsideredtobetheearliestextra-NewTestamentChristianwriting.Clement’slettercontainsanimportanthistoricalreferenceto Jesus and the resurrection:

TheApostlesreceivedtheGospelforusfromtheLordJesusChrist;JesusChristwassentforthfromGod.SothenChristisfromGod,andtheApostlesarefromChrist.BoththereforecameofthewillofGodintheappointedorder.Havingthere-forereceived a charge,and having been fullyassuredthroughtheresurrection ofourLordJesusChristandconfirmed inthewordofGodwithfullassuranceoftheHolyGhost,theywentforthwiththegladtidingsthatthekingdomofGodshouldcome.Sopreachingeverywhereincountryandtown,theyappointedtheirfirstfruits,whentheyhadprovedthembytheSpirit,tobebishopsanddeaconsuntothemthatshouldbelieve.35

JustinMartyrwasthemostnotableofthesecond-centuryapologists.Justin’sFirstApologywasaddressedtotheEmperorAntoninusPius(A.D.138-161)andaimedtoclearawayprejudiceandmisunderstandingaboutChristianity.HeclaimedthatpopularchargesthatChristianswereatheistsandimmoralwereunfounded.HearguedthatChristianbeliefsandpracticesactuallyreflectedahigherreasonandmorality.37JustinMartyrdefendedtheresurrection of Jesus Christ when he wrote:

WhatarewetomakeoftheevidencefortheresurrectionofJesusChrist?TheJesusSeminarledbyCrossanandFunkhaslookedattheevidenceforthebodilyresurrection of Jesus and has come up withthefollowingconclusions:

Onthebasisoftheaggregateevidenceofthesestoriesandreports,theJesusSeminaragreedthat:TheresurrectionofJesusdid not involvethe resuscitationof a corpse.Ifthe resurrectionof Jesusdid not involvetheresuscitation of a corpseandifa Christophanyhaddevelopedoutofanangelophany,itfollowsthat:BeliefinJesus’resurrectiondidnotdependonwhathappenedtohisbody.Sincetheemptytombwasalatedevelopment,probablycreatedbyMark,thereportthatJesushadbeenburiedinatombknownto thewomenhas comeunderscholarlysuspicion.Thetendencytoelaborateandenhance the burialstoriesheightenedthatsuspicion.Inviewofthenatureoftheappearancesandthelateemergenceofstoriesrepresentingtheresurrectionasphysicalandpalpable,theSeminarconcluded:ThebodyofJesusdecayedasdoothercorpses.Alltheevidence,whentakentogether,seemedtosuggestthat:TheresurrectionwasnotaneventthathappenedonthefirstEasterSunday;itwasnotaneventthatcould have been recorded bya video camera.The Seminarfollowed this trail of evidencetoitsconclusion,whichtheyformulatedasfollows:SincetheearlierstrataoftheNewTestamentcontainnoappearancestories,itdoesnotseemnecessaryforChristianfaithtobelievetheliteralveracityofanyofthelaternarratives.Thisconclusion,ofcourse,assumesthattherewereChristiansandhenceChristianfaithpriortotheriseofspecificappearancestories.TheFellowswereunanimousinthisjudgment;therewerenodissentingvotes.Atthesametime,manyFellowsholdtheviewthatnarrativesoftheappearancesoftherisenJesusareaffirmationsthatJesuswasalivinglord.Theyareconfessionsoftheconvictionheldbythe earliestChristian communities.Theyareproperlyunderstoodonlywhenit isrecognizedthattheyarenothistoricalreports.40

1. The unbeliever Saul of Tarsus was converted on the road to Damascus when the risen Jesus appeared to him (Acts 9; Acts 22:1-21; 1 Cor 9:1; 1 Cor 15:8).

2. The first article in this two-part series examined the possible explanations for the empty tomb of Jesus and demonstrated that the best explanation for the facts recorded in the gospels is the historical resurrection of Jesus from the dead. See the previous article: Gary R. Gromacki, “The Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ,” JMAT 6, no. 1 (2002): 63-87.

3. The risen Jesus honored women by first appearing to them. These female disciples testified to the male disciples that Jesus was alive, but the male disciples refused to believe them (Matt 28:8; Mark 16:9-11, 14; Luke 24:10-11; John 20:2, 18). Interestingly, the testimony of women was not accepted in a Jewish court of law. The Mishnah says “The law about an oath of evidence applies to men but not to women …” (Shevuoth 4:1). Josephus wrote, “Let not the testimony of women be admitted because of the levity and boldness of their sex” (Antiquities 4:219). Jesus rebuked the two men on the road to Emmaus for their refusal to believe the women’s report of his resurrection (Luke 24:22-26) and also the eleven when they sat at table (Mark 16:14).

4. The New King James Version reads “And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them saying, ‘Rejoice!’ So they came and held Him by the feet and worshipped Him” (Matt 28:9). The clause “And as they went to tell His disciples” has been added by scribes and probably is not a part of the original text according to UBS III Greek text. Bruce Metzger writes, “Although it is possible that the words w de; eporeuvonto apaggei'lai toi' maqhtai' autou' kai; idouv fell out of the text due to homoeoteleuton, their absence from the earliest and best representatives of all three early types of text (the Alexandrian, the Western, and the Caesarean) led the Committee to regard them as a natural expansion derived from the sense of the preceding verse” (Bruce Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament [London: United Bible Societies, 1971], 72).

9. Acts 1:3 says that Jesus “presented himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” The Greek word for “infallible proofs” (tekmhrivoi) is defined as “that which causes something to be known in a convincing and decisive manner, proof” (Walter Bauer, A Greek- English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, rev. and ed. Frederick W. Danker, 3d ed. [Chicago: U of Chicago P, 2000], 994; hereafter abbreviated BDAG).

13. Gary Habermas, The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1996), 131.

14. Ibid., 132.

15. Ibid., 133.

16. Psalm 16:10 is a direct Messianic prophecy and is one of two such prophecies in the Psalms (the other being Psalm 110:1 which Peter also quotes in this message; cf. Acts 2:34-35). David’s body did see corruption, but the body of Jesus did not see corruption as it was raised on the third day. Paul made this point as well when he quoted Psalm 16:10, “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; but He whom God raised up saw no corruption” (Acts 13:36-37).

17. The Greek word for “babbler” is spermolovgo" which means “seed picker.” The word was used of a kind of bird, “the ‘rook’ and in pejorative imagery of persons whose communication lacks sophistication and seems to pick up scraps of information here and there; scrapmonger, scavenger” (BDAG, 937). Apparently these Greek philosophers viewed Paul as an amateur philosopher, someone who had no new ideas of his own, but only picked among prevailing philosophies and constructed one with little depth of insight.

18. The Areopagus was a court named for the hill on which it once met. Paul was not being formally tried for some crime. He was just asked to defend his teaching there. Acts 17:19 shows us this as it says, “And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, ‘May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.’” Luke then makes the observation, “For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing” (Acts 17:19-21).

19. For a detailed analysis of this first-century creed that was delivered to Paul, see William Lane Craig, Assessing the New Testament Evidence For The Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus (Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen, 1989), 1-50.

20. Quoted from Habermas, The Historical Jesus, 176.

21. Maier observes, “All previous Roman edicts concerning grave violation set only a large fine, and one wonders what presumed serious infraction could have led the Roman government to stiffen the penalty precisely in Palestine and to erect a notice regarding it specifically in Nazareth or vicinity” (Paul Maier, First Easter [New York: Harper, 1973], 122).

22. All three Synoptic Gospels record that when Jesus was taken down from the cross, he was wrapped in a “linen shroud” (sindwvn; Matt 27:59; Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53).

25. Carbon-14 testing was done on a 4 inch by 2.8 inch cut from the shroud on April 21, 1987. Each of three laboratories (Oxford, England; Zurich, Switzerland; and the University of Arizona, USA) received one third of the piece of the shroud. The official results were submitted to the British Museum. The shroud was dated to the fourteenth century. Even if the shroud had been dated to the first century, it would not have proven, nor could it, that the shroud belonged to Jesus Christ (John McRay, Archaeology and the New Testament [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1991], 219-20).

33. Historian Edwin Yamauchi writes, “Almost everyone agrees that a number of phrases in the passage are so patently Christian that a Jew like Josephus would not have penned them: (1) ‘If indeed one ought to call him a man’ implies that Jesus was more than human. (2) ‘He was the Christ.’ Josephus elsewhere says very little about messianic expectations, because he wanted to downplay those beliefs. (3) ‘On the third day he appeared to them restored to life.’ This seems to be an unambiguous testimony to the resurrection of Christ” (Edwin Yamauchi, “Jesus Outside the New Testament: What is the Evidence?” in Jesus Under Fire, ed. Michael J. Williams and J. P. Moreland [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995], 213).

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